I'm at North’s offices with my uncle, going over building plans. Atlas is here too.
North and Oli are at the house with me, we haven't left yet, Nox replies.
Why? What's happened? North sends through.
Everybody needs to come to North's offices now. Oli needs to be driven down in one of the ATVs, both of you need to come with her.
On high alert, I shut the water off and grab a towel, stepping out of the shower as I meet Nox’s eyes in the mirror, my heart already starting to thump in my chest.
What is it? What's happened?
The gods have made their next move. I'm sure it's a trap, but we need to be ready to move out.
Nox grabs a shirt and pulls it over his head, his shadows falling down from his body and slowly forming into Mephis and Procel at his feet. I let Azrael down as well as I quickly towel off.
What's happened?North asks again, and I hear his footsteps down the hallway as he works his way back to Nox and me. I duck into my closet to change into my Tac gear.
The General is dead. His second brought my mother back right before he bled out, and we've let her through and put her in the cells for now. I'm sending Kyrie down to see her, but the Resistance took out an entire town. We need to mobilize and go look for survivors.
My heart leaps into my throat right as North makes it to me in the closet, his eyes guarded as he looks me over. I shove my feet into my shoes and straighten, swallowing roughly around the lump in my throat. There's a million things I want to say to Gryphon, but all of them sound wrong.
How many casualties are there that we know of?North questions instead, happy to keep things firmly on the business at hand instead of the very human side of things.
We're facing somewhere in the ballpark of a hundred and seventy. My mother had two children with her that she'd managed to find and bring back with the Transporter as well.
A hundred and seventy people are dead because they let the General talk them out of the Sanctuary. A hundred and seventy people that he had sacrificed because he couldn't face the thought of his son having void eyes and being the same kind of monster as the Dravens that he so desperately loathed.
All of those men, women, and children are gone, and for nothing. A waste of life on such a horrific scale.
We're on our way now,Nox sends through, and as he steps closer to North, they share a look, and I follow them out to the garage without a word.
There's nothing I can say anyway.
I open my mind connection up to Gryphon. Regardless, nothing comes down the line to me, nothing at all. He has emptied out and become a blank slate, the same way Nox had, and I refuse to push him on this. I mean, I would never push any of them on something like this, but we also have a job to do. We need to be looking for survivors and maybe finding another god-bond to deal with.
There's no time to unpack any of this for him.
North drives the ATV, and I sit jammed between him and Nox, half on each of their laps. Nox had originally pulled me into his lap, but North had dragged me across his as well, both of them wanting to keep me close and protect me as much as they could. The shadows run alongside the ATV as we drive through the quiet streets. Whether people are still too afraid to move around freely or if Gryphon has put a stay-at-home order in place, I have no idea, but it's helpful not to have to explain ourselves or make nice on the way down there.
When we arrive at the base of the building, I want to throw up, but I put on a brave face as we make our way into the elevator together.
As the doors shut behind us, North murmurs to his brother, “Don't be an asshole about this.”
I glance up at Nox as his lip curls and he shrugs. “I’m not going to apologize for not feeling bad about that dickhead being dead.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m just saying Gryphon can't help feeling a certain way about his father being dead. Don't be a dick about it.”
“I’m never a dick.”
That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard in my life.
I'm not brave or stupid enough to call him out on it though. North isn't so kind, scoffing under his breath as he pulls the ATV up alongside the council offices and helps me off of the vehicle. August falls away from his body in an easy motion, as though North hasn't even really thought about letting him out, but merely being in my presence is enough to have him wanting the shadowy sentry out for my protection.
I let Azrael down from behind my ear again, having let him ride along with me here, and I lean down to give them both a quick pat. I would love on them a whole lot more, but I don't want to waste any time right now. Instead, we walk into North's offices together, finding chaos and bedlam waiting there for us.
Dozens of Tac operatives are already dressed and ready to move out, standing around and murmuring to each other quietly as Gryphon, Vivian, and Unser stand over one of the planning boards together, moving pieces around and making a plan as we get closer to them.
The door to the locker room opens as Gabe and Atlas both step out wearing the Tac gear and speaking quietly amongst themselves, somber looks on their faces. Atlas has a determined set to his jaw, understanding shining in his eyes at the confusing grief in the air having just gone through something similar himself.
